This invention relates to monitoring of power equipment, particularly although not exclusively so called combined heat and power (CHP) units, for energy management purposes.
CHP units are widely used in premises to facilitate efficient supply of heat and power. Fuel is burnt within the unit to generate electric power, as a sole or fall back or supplementary supply for the premises, and excess heat from the unit is recovered typically for use by a local hot water or central heating system.
In prior patent GB 2206708B a system is described for remote monitoring of the performance of CHP units at different locations. Operational data is collected in the vicinity of each CHP unit by means of local computing equipment linked to sensors. This data is stored and processed in the local computer equipment and is periodically uploaded to a remote central monitoring computer. As described in the patent, the local computer equipment can respond to faults and seek to remedy these automatically, for example by repeating a failed start-up procedure. In the event that the local computer equipment is unable to remedy the fault, an alarm message can be sent automatically to the central monitoring computer to summon assistance.
At the central monitoring computer information is available as to the performance of all CHP units which are monitored by the computer, and it is possible to view a screen display or obtain a print out showing information such as start failures, component temperatures, power generation voltage and current etc, related to factors such as time, location, history, type of CHP unit, etc. Statistical analysis of collected data, efficiency of operation, maintenance and service requirements, performance trends and the like can be computed and also displayed or printed out.
This central monitoring procedure facilitates diagnosis of problems and preventive maintenance analysis, as well as response to failures. Thus, personnel at the central monitoring location can, for example, be alerted to component overheating or other data signifying possible fall in efficiency or likely future failure so that a decision can be taken as to when and how to change the component or take other remedial action.
This procedure is however in practice confined to the central monitoring location and collected information is not readily accessible e.g. to individual users or owners of the CHP units. Such users or owners are not therefore able readily to participate in maintenance, performance improvement and general energy management of their units.
An object of the present invention is to facilitate access to information collected from monitored power equipment for energy management purposes.
According to the invention therefore there is provided a power equipment monitoring system for monitoring performance data of individual power equipment units, said system comprising sensors associated with each said unit, a data collection and processing device local to each said unit adapted to receive and process data from the respective sensors, monitoring equipment adapted to receive data from each data collection and processing device for fault and maintenance monitoring purposes, characterised by the provision of a data access device associated with each data collection and processing device, said device being accessible remotely to provide a display, using a remote computer, of data from a selected said data collection and processing device.
With this arrangement, a user or other person authorised in relation to monitored power equipment can readily access data from that equipment. Such person can therefore monitor or utilise such data himself without requiring the assistance of other personnel e.g. at the location of a central said monitoring equipment.
The involvement of the person may be confined to accessing data. Alternatively, the person may also be able to give instructions to influence performance of the power equipment.
Most preferably, there is a respective data access device for each data collection and processing device and preferably also the data access device is disposed locally to the data collection and processing device.
Preferably the data access device is arranged to store data from the data collection and processing device in a format which can be utilised to generate the said display at the remote computer using an Internet web browser. Thus, for example, the data may be stored in HTML code, and communication between the remote computer and the data access device may utilise TCP/IP protocol. Alternatively other formats and codes such as XML and WAP may be used, and correspondingly the display may be produced and formatted in any suitable manner using text and/or graphics on a VDU or other screen with web browser or WAP or other technology including SMS text messaging.
Communication between the remote computer and the data access device may be effected in any suitable manner. Thus, the communication may occur via a direct dial-up telephone and modem, or ISDN linkage, or via the Internet or otherwise. In one embodiment a direct dial-up linkage is used. In an alternative embodiment a permanent network connection e.g. via an intranet and/or via a permanent internet connection is used, the local device having its own IP address.
Preferably access to the data access device is security protected, suitably by the use of passwords. There may be different levels of access which may be protected by different passwords. The levels may correspond to different ranges of data and/or to different levels of interaction. Highest levels of access may be restricted to maintenance engineers or other personnel authorised for extensive or full access.
The data access device may incorporate a dongle or like component which is monitored and has to be present for proper operation. This component may determine the available level of access and may be capable of modification by an authorised person, e.g. supervisor or engineer, to change the level of access.
With regard to the fault and maintenance monitoring equipment, this may comprise central monitoring equipment at a central location remote from the power equipment units and connected thereto by remote linkage. The central monitoring equipment may respond to fault reports, e.g. to arrange for an engineer to attend, and/or the equipment may analyse maintenance and repair parameters such as to indicate a servicing requirement and/or a component replacement or the like, e.g. as described in patent GB 2206708B.
Messages, such as emergency messages to an engineer to attend a breakdown, may be initiated by the system and transmitted in any suitable manner. In one embodiment messages can be sent to an engineer""s mobile phone e.g. via SMS text.
The remote linkage between the central monitoring equipment and the power equipment units may be via dial-up telephone such that routine data is collected periodically, say every night, and failure requiring assistance is notified as and when it occurs. As an alternative to a telephone link, communication via Internet or e-mail may be used. Conveniently any failure message may be accompanied by transfer of operational data e.g. the last ten minutes of data, to assist with fault analysis. As an alternative to dial-up or other periodic connection there may be a permanent network connection such as an intranet or permanent internet connection. With such a permanent connection there may be data transfer on a periodic or continuous or on-demand basis.
The central monitoring equipment may be at any convenient location which may be in the same building as the power equipment units or elsewhere in the world. It is also possible to have a plurality of monitoring equipment devices at different locations operating independently or together e.g. operating as a network which may have a central server or overall control monitoring equipment.
As described in the above mentioned patent, data analysis and problem solving may occur locally to each power equipment unit. As described in the patent, this may be of a limited nature whereby for example after an attempted re-start of the power equipment unit has failed assistance is then summoned via the remote linkage to the central monitoring equipment.
In one embodiment of the present invention, this local data analysis and problem solving may be of a more extensive nature and even may be such that most or all of such analysis and problem solving occurs locally whereby there is respective monitoring equipment for each power equipment unit. In the latter case the monitoring equipment may be incorporated with the respective data access device and/or the respective data collection and processing device.
It is visualised that the invention will find particular application in the context of power equipment units which are CHP units. However, the invention is not restricted to such units. The invention may also find application in the context of monitoring other units which produce or consume or are operated by power, such as heating, venting, air conditioning, lighting or chilling units alternative or additional to CHP or other power generating units. Data from these other units may be collected via the said local data collection and processing device of a CHP or other unit, to be supplied to the said monitoring equipment, or the data may be routed thereto separately via independent sensors and local data collection devices.